Apparatus for relatively continuously receiving material and intermittently discharging the same



y 1953 L G. FELDERMAN 2,637,456

APPARATUS FOR RELATI VELY CONTINUOUSLY RECEIVING MATERIAL AND INTERMITTENTLY DISCHARGING THE SAME Filed Nov. 18, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet l fl h [220%2202 Lloyd G llddezwzan.

5, 1953 L. G. FELDERMAN 2,637,456 APPARATUS FOR RELATIVELY CONTINUOUSLY RECEIVING MATERIAL AND INTERMITTENTLY DISCHARGING THE SAME Filed Nov. 18, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 5, 1953 I L. G. FELDERMAN 2,637,456

APPARATUS FOR RELATIVELY CONTINUOUSLY RECEIVING MATERIAL AND INTERMITTENTLY DISCHARGING THE SAME L. G. FELDERMAN May 5, 1953 7 2,637,456 CONTINUOUSLY RECEIVING MATE 8 8AND INTERMITTENTLY DISCHARGING THE SAME RIAL APPARATUS FOR RELATIVELY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov.

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a d m W F 6 0 u i l Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE SAME 7 Lloyd G. Folder-man, Franklin,- I Be, assignor to Joy 'Manufacturing Company,- Pittsburgh; Pall, a corporation 0? Pennsylvania ApplicationNovember 18, 1948',- SfialNmfiIMfiR- 15G1aims. (Cl. 214--83.14)

1 My invention relates to material receiving, storing and discharging apparatus, and more particularly to such apparatus particularly, but by no means exclusively, adapted to use with mineral vein-disintegrating and disintegrated materialdcliverlng apparatus which is capable of relative-- ly continuously delivery of material. Its various aspects will hereinafter appear.

Continuous minersfi'of a recently developed type clisint'egrate a mineral vein and deliver at their discharges the disintegrated inineral--as, for example,- but without limitation thereto, coal in such a manner that, while there" are brief interruptions between the delivery of the mineral resultiiig'irom the" disintegration of a given upright band and'the delivery of the min-- eral resulting from thedisintegration of the next adjacent band, and longer interruptionsthough still brief ones--hetween the completion of the disintegration of one transverse series of upright bands and the initiation of the attack on a suh sequent series, there is nevertheless a delivery of relatively-large quantitiesof mineral, with such minor interruptions of'continuity of discharge; that a sexious problem is presented by the fact that load reception is intermittent with the transport devices best adapted to handle the product of such Miners. discharge is possible, the problem is even more acute.

11, to present a simple example, we assume a Miner to have an average discharge rate" of a ton per minute, and a- Shuttle car can make a round, trip; including discharging time; from the; Miner discharge back to: the same again, in three minutes, it will be apparent that some provision for the storage of three tons, of coal must be made in order that the Miner can con tinue its attack on a mineral vein while the Shuttlecaf is traveling from the Miner to discharge point, ciiIecting-discharge of its load, and. returning to the Miner.

The wovision .or a suitable. storage device- When continuity of ada oted to meet such conditions is one oi. the

obj cts of my invention. Such a storage device mnst have provision for the discharge of its rethe "Miner the period of absence of the.

"Shuttle; car. This may be provided by the use of a hopper car, the use of a belt conveyor with stationary Sideboards, or by the use of a belt conveyor without side hoards, whei'i longitudinal dimension oi the device is not'a vitai 2 factor. One characteristic of any such device is, however, that so long as the conveyor continues to move (circulate-with the types mentioned) there will be spread over the top run thereof a layer of disintegrated mineral, thick or thin de-- pending on the rate of conveyor travel;v and, when a thin layer of material remains on the conveyor at the end otadischarge period, and the conveyor. ismnc'h slowed down to receive and distribute anew load; there-will necessarily have to he made some disposition of this thin layer; for otherwise it will be dumped on the mine bottom. It can, in accordance with my invention, be very satisfactorily gotten rid of b'ydelivering it to a Car which has been receiving a load; while preventin its renewal by cutting oil the access of new material to the conveyor and providing for its. temporary retention or storage while the conveyor is cleared. According'to a preferred embodiment of my invention there is provided means for temporarilyintercepting the discharge themthe Miner whilethe conveyor clears itself. Such a means may desirably be" arranged to enable the discharge of the temporarily held back material onto the" conveyor, andto be moved to a position in which the discharge of material from the- Miner shall have free access to the material-storage means; though in the event at a large mass-of material being stored, and the use of a narrow belt with side boards or a; Wider belt without side boards; a metering "function might be neededbe'icre theinterception was fully discontinued. The intercepting device may desir paratus soconstructed and arranged that the dis-- tribution of athin-"layer of material over the bottom: thereof during, the. final stages of unloading therefrom of an accumulated load may be prevented. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved material receiving, storing and discharging app-aratushaving in combination with itsmea-ns for distributing the-material re ceiveii thereby during loading thereof through-- out its length: at an appropriate rate and for onloadingthe material rapidly when it isde'siredto acsvgaee discharge it, of means for preventin material which may continue to be delivered to one end of the apparatus from being spread throughout its length during the final stages of unloading of "iid therefrom. A further object is to provice an improved material receiving, storing and discharging appa us having improved material handling and controlling apparatus associated therewith, whereby material may be moved from one portion thereof for discharge while material being delivered to another portion thereof be intercepted and stored where it falls, out of the field of operation of the material conveying means which forms a portion of such apparatus. Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved material receiving, storing and discharging apparatus embodying an improved combination of conveying and distributing means and temporary storage means for receiving and maintaining in a position in which it is not ongageable by the material conveying and distributin mean: a substantial quantity of material and for then dumping it on the material conveying and distributing means. A further object is to provide an improved. material intercepting apparatus. Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings in which one illustrative embodiment which my invention may assume in practice is shown for purposes of illustration,

Fig. l is a plan view of a material receiving storing and discharging apparatus constructed in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view 01 the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view on the plane of the section line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the parts in a dilierent position.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view on the plane of the section line "5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a generally diagrammatic view showing the invention in use.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are generally diagrammatic views showing respectively conditions when the the hopper is nearly fully loaded, a relatively late portion of the discharge phase of the operation of the apparatus, and the condition of the apparatus at the conclusion of discharge and just before an intercepted mass of material is dumped onto the material receiving and distributing conveyor.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown incorporated in an apparatus 1, which is quite similar in construction, except as hereinafter explained, to a Shuttle car. This construction includes a body 2 having a wide material-receiving portion 3 and having, in contrast to the rubber tired wheels of the usual Shuttle car, motor driven, tractor tread, supporting means 4, one at each side and each driven by a motor 5, one of said motors being shown in Fig. 2; and the propulsion of the apparatus 2 is controllable by any suitable mechanism, herein generally designated E, by which the tractor tread supporting means 4 can be independently or simultaneously driven. The apparatus i is adapted to move along behind a Continuous miner M, see Fig. 6, and to receive the disintegrated material which the latter discharges. This close adjacency may be maintained by the propulsion means of the apparatus. l or couldbe effected by the use of a suitable draw bar or equivalent connection between the Miner and the apparatus i. The Continuous miner M may be of various forms, but is shown for purposes of illustration as similar to the structure disclosed and claimed in the copending application of Samuel Leven, Serial No. 19,698, filed April 8, 1948, which applicati is owned by my assign-es. It includes a disintegrating apparatus '1, a driving motor aerator ii, suitable feeding, retracting, laterally positioning and vertically swinging meansnot all shown in this present case, but fully shown in the application above mentioned-and adapted to permit the Miner to attack and disintegrate the mineral vein in a plurality of upright sections of desired length or height, width and depth. The Miner has its own delivery conveyor 6 at the rear end thereof, and this conveyor is adapted to discharge to the apparatus I (see Fig. 6).

The apparatus 5 has conveyor 6 5, shown as a flight conveyor, and includng tights l2 moved flight-moving chains 23 driven by sprockets M on a transversely extending shaft 15, driven through worm and worm wheel mechanism [6 and a flexible connection it by a motor 18 through a clutch controlled reduction mechanism l9. Drive of the conveyor by the motor It may be controlled by a friction clutch as in the Charles Bali application, Serial No. 760,541, filed July 12, 1947, now abandoned, and owned by my assignec, or by any suitable switch mechanism, not shown.

The conveyor 3! extends throughout the bottom of the body 2, and through a vertically adjustable discharge section 2!, tiltable about an at 22 having the elevation of its discharge end 23 adjustable by a hydraulic jack device 24 supplied with hydraulic fluid under pressure from any suitable source, as, for example, the usual motor driven pump (not shown) customarily found on Shuttle cars, under the control of a valve device 26. The pump may for example be arranged and driven as in the Ball application above mentioned. The conveyor II is guided at its end remote from the shaft l5 as at 2?, and extends throughout the full length of the body l.

For the purpose of preventing access of material discharged by the delivery conveyor 9 to the conveyor ii, when it is desired that such delivery shall not take place, I have provided intercepting means shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9. This includes a pair of material supporting plates, 35, 355, each secured to a longitudinally extending blocklike element 3? extending for the full length, longitudinally of the apparatus, of the plates 35 and E25, and each having secured to it a pair of horizontal bars or legs which, in the position or" the plates 35, 38 with their edges in substantial contact with each other, extend substantially for the full transverse width of the bottom portion of the body 2. The legs associatedwith the plate 35 are numbered 38, and those associated with the plate are numbered 39. These legs are guided in pairs in guide openlugs 21' of rectangular cross section, in openended boxlike elements ll arranged beneath the bottom plate d2 of the body 2. It will be evident that the legs 33, 3% guide the plates 35, 36 for movement rectilinearly towards and from each other. The plates extend through slots or openings 43 in the sloping side walls M of the body 2, and are adapted to be slid into contact with each other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and into withdrawn position, asshown.-in liie: i. hit suit-. .e hydraulically controlled link, and lever mechani i5. Bearing blocks All supllorted on the. ie walls of the body 2 rotatably support tudineily extending shafts il carrying near e arms is to which there. is pivotally an eye: on a piston rod 5| ex.- r piston 52 recipro-cable, in a, cylly connectedat 5 to the body 2. the shafts All carryarms 55 rooted at 55 to links 57 which are Wally connected at 58 tothe block When the piss he 52 are at the of the cylinders. it will be evident hat :chanis s position the. plates i fi, idol to each other. When the pistons. 52 are,

moved outwardly relative to, the cylinders .53, the plates lit are drawn apart. as shownin c. Any suitable means, for supplying fluid to the cylinder and piston mechanisms for. controlling-the; positions of the plates 35. 36 may beprovided, as o r example, a source ofhydraulic fluid under pressure as above described, and. a control valve 55!.

The mode of operation of the invention, as so for described, may be understood most readily by reference to-Figs. l, 3, 4i, 6,; 7. 8 and 9;. ifhe hopper car is shown, in Fig. 1, as being empty, a eoioditipwh-ichmay be brought about at any time by interrupting the operation of the, Con tinuous with which the apparatus describedis associated, and continuing to circulate i w y-or i l. in this view, the plates 35,, 3%

t n contigu-ityto each other. Ordi-. with the hopper completely emptyh these,v will be withdrawn to the position shown in. =1, and loading of material into the car will be commenced. Then, when the Miner continueato deliver material into thehopper oar body 2, it will be allowed to fall to the bottom of the latter. and by appropriate manipulation of the controller tor-the conveyor driving motor H8, or preferablyof a clutch, the load will be distributed along the length of the body 2 until the body is fully loaded. Fig 7 represents diagram,- maticallythe loaded state of the apparatus. Both the body 2 and the discharge section 2 tare. loaded. According to oneexample,v perhaps three minutes may be requiredv to load'the body, In Fig. 8, the flight conveyor H has: been utilized todischaree all of the load, which has; been de posited on it and distributed throughout; its length. However, material has continued to, fall onto the body as the'load wasdischarged, sor a thinlayer or material, as shown. at Si, is spread over the bottom or the body. The operator will then cause the plates 355 and iii-i to be moved. together to the position of Figs 1. and 3, and Fig. 8. shows conditions just as the plates have been moved together and just as the discharged material from Miner begins toiallon the plates. The conveyor l i will be used to: dischargethe layer iii. to a Shuttle car or the like while the material continues to fall on the plates 35. and 35, with the resultv that acondition. as rep-- resented in Fig. 9 will be attained. When there is no material spread over the bottom of the body or .in the discharge section 2 l, the plates willbe separated, as shown in Fig. i. and the material will he dumpedv in the. body 2, the conveyor; being 1 first stopped or at least slowed down. Loading of the body will. then proceed.

It is. unnecessary to defer. the moving, 05. the; plates 35 and, 36 togetheruntil the main, load. has; been lolly; discharged and; a ;,thin- My r- 1115 iii material. extend thro ghout the: mulength; of

the, bottom-bf theconvcyor, as indicated Fig. 8'.

Bfizzand. 315., these may be advanced towards. each other and caused to intercept and store materiaL; lhis is" not, however, probably. the best way of procedure, and it is thought preferable tor-advance. the plates towards each. other only.

when the; condition.- of the. material in the: con.- veyor. approximates. that; of Fig. 8;.

Eteferringv to Fig. 6, it willbe seen that: the

discharge. conveyor 9. of the Miner-= is; deliver-.

ingimaterialto the. apparatus. I, and that a.

Shuttle. car i is positioned with its loadlreceive. ins: end undertheend.of' the'discharge section 21- of the. apparatuswhichi forms the subject;

matter; or; this; present; invention; 7

I-laying inmind the characteristic: of Shuttle ca d that these may be loaded rather:

rapidly-by moving the conveyors whichv extend;

along their bottomsatan appropriaterate, it. will be understood that iiT'the; Shuttle carand thehopper car areof generally similar. capacity:

and. construction, it will be possible, by suitably: operating; their conveyors, to transfer the cumulated. load from- :the: hoppercarto. the Shuttle; can," to: complete the filling: of; the .-..lagt.

tor; and: :to; -,clear the conveyor. of, the-hopper. car.

in a. relativelyashorte' time; 1 1

Since'the: plates 35- and 36;; are relatively closeto the end of the body 2 to whichmaterial is;

adapted. to be discharged, it. will be. understood that: they may-also; causesome material to be stored against the slopingi wallet; .ot. the body:

2', thereby providing.- agreater storage capacity for; material. This is indicatedin; File", 9;

Notwithstan-dingv the presence of; 10W; sloping wall: 63, the bodyisopenffrom end; to end; in

the; sense; that, itis; not divided up intoa plurality of longitudinally seriallyarranged compartments- Itwillbe evident that. the invention. is adapted; to permit the use of a conveyor arrangement.

essentially the sameas is comrnon to: Shuttle; cars,-. mthoutz special modifications thereof, for;

the distribution and; discharge of; material delivered to the hopper-car;- and that throughthe superpositioningon the more or less, conven tional: structure. mentioned of the interceptingand'storaee; means; illustrated; by; the; plates- 35 and-tband-the;operatingmeans therefon; it: will be possiblerto: prevent the discharge onto the minchbottoma ofi-a: layer of, material suchas is shown. ixr- Fig; 8,; during; the; reception of a newload by the: hopper car; after: the, material with whichit had; previouslybeen loaded has been discharged. Itrwill be; apparent, therefore, that,

the" inventionpossesses the advantage not only of efiectivelyxsolvinga, serious problem, but that verabilitm The; generalised constructionmaybe-madc virtually-the same as that. of; the Shuttle-cars? to' whichi the hopper apparatus is to V discharge, material, the.- essential chan e being;

scr d orm; hich:t atv n ssemezieicrectice: itvw. eiuuderstaqdithat.

Instead, soon afterthe. level: of the materialat: the end of the body. Tito-which; discharge takes place falls below theiposition of. the plates The caterpillar support is this form of the invention is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, including a body open from end to end for receiving and storing material and conveyor means associated with said body and extending along the bottom of said body inside the latter for moving material received at one end of said body along said body to distribute a load therein throughout the length thereof and to discharge a load therefrom at the other end thereof, the improvement which consists of providing material-intercepting means inside said body at the material-receiving end thereof and wholly below the top of said body when in material-intercepting position for receiving and temporarily storing. material delivered to said apparatus at the material-receiving end thereof while the major portion of the length of said body is unobstructed by said material-intercepting means and other material is being discharged from the body and means for moving said intercepting means to permit the passage of material stored thereby into the field of operation of the conveyor means and the access of further material delivered to said body at the first mentioned end thereof to the bottom thereof and to said conveyor means.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, including a body having side walls and providing a single compartment open from end to end for receiving and storing material and conveyor means associated with said body and extending along the bottom of said body inside the latter for moving material received at one end of said body along said body to distribute a load therein throughout the length thereof and to discharge a load therefrom at the other end thereof, the improvement which consists of providing, above the level of the conveyor and at the materialreceiving en'dof said body only, material-intercepting means Wholly below the top of said body and cooperating with the side walls of said body to provide a space for receiving and temporarily storingmaterial delivered to said apparatus while other material is being discharged from the major portion of said body and means for withdrawing said intercepting means in a path wholly below the top of said body to permit the descent of material stored thereon into the field of operation of the conveyor means and the access of further material delivered to said body at the first mentioned end thereof to the bottom thereof and to said conveyor means.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, including a body having upwardly diverging side walls and open from end to end to provide a unitary compartment for receiving and storing material and conveyor means associated with said body and extending along the bottom of said body inside the latter for moving material received at one end of said body along said body to distribute a load therein throughout the length thereof and to discharge a load therefrom at the other end thereof, the improvement which consists of providing material-intercepting means projected through said side walls near the bottom of the latter horizontally into said body at the materialreceiving end only thereof, above the conveyor for receiving material delivered to said apparatus while other material is being discharged from the major portion of the length of the body and means for withdrawing said intercepting means to permit the descent of material stored thereon into the field of operation of the conveyor means and the access of further material delivered to said body at the first mentioned end thereof to the bottom thereof and to said conveyor means.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, including a body open from end to end to provide a unitary compartment for receiving and storing material and conveyor means associated with said body and extending along the bottom of said body inside the latter for moving material received at one end of said body along said body to distribute a load therein along the length thereof and to discharge a load therefrom at the other end thereof, the improvement which consists of providing material-intercepting means including relatively movable elements projected from either side of said body into the latter above the conveyor for receiving material delivered to said apparatus at the material-receiving end thereof while other material supported by said conveyor Y means over the major portion of the length of said body and of a depth exceeding the distance between said elements and the conveyor means is being discharged from the body and means for withdrawing said intercepting means laterally of said body, a portion through each side of the latter, to permit the descent of material stored thereon into the field of operation of the conveyor means and the access of further material delivered to said body at the first mentioned end thereof to the bottom thereof and to said conveyor means.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, including a body open from end to end for receiving and storing material and conveyor means associated with said body and freely accessible through an open end of the latter to material delivery means and extending along the bottom of said body inside the latter for moving material received at said end of said body along said body to distribute a load therein throughout the length thereof and to discharge a load therefrom at the other end thereof, the improvement which consists of providing, above the level of the conveyor, material-intercepting means projectible into said body only at the material-receiving end of the latter for receiving material delivered to said apparatus while other material is being discharged from the remaining, major, portion of said body, said intercepting means including a pair of oppositely slidable plates selectively positionable to meet at the longitudinal center line of said body or to be at least substantially withdrawn oppositely through the sides of said body, and means for so positioning and withdrawing said plates including hydraulically operated means at either side of said body for shifting said plates transversely of said body.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, including a body open from end to end to provide a unitary compartment for receiving and storing material and conveyor means associated with said body and freely accessible, through an open end of said body, to material delivery means and extendmg along the bottom of said body inside the latter for moving material received at one end of said body along said body to distribute a load therein throughout the length thereof and to discharge a load therefrom at the other end thereof, the improvement which consists of providing,

above the level of the conveyor, material-interporarily storing all of the material-delivered to said apparatus over the end wall thereof while other material previously received is being discharged from the body from the major portion of the length of the latter, and means for moving said intercepting means to permit the passage of material stored thereby into the field of operation of the conveyor means and the access, past said intercepting means, of all further material delivered to said body at the receiving end thereof to the bottom thereof and to said conveyor means.

13. Apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said intercepting means includes relatively movable plates parting at the center line of said body and separable to permit the passage of material stored upon them between them and to clear the whole width of the conveyor.

14. In a low height vehicle for receiving, storing and discharging material in underground mines, a mobile body of low height and of elongated generally rectangular shape, mobile supporting means for said body on which the latter is mounted in a relatively low position with its bottom located relatively close to the mine floor, said body having a material-receiving compartment of relatively large capacity extending lengthwise thereof throughout its length and for substantially its full height, an endless conveyor extending along the bottom of said compartment for aiding in the storing and distribution of material in said compartment and for discharging stored material from said compartment, said compartment having hopperlike sides extending upwardly and laterally at the sides of said conveyor out to the full width of said body, and adjustable plate means arranged on said body at the sides of said conveyor near one end portion of the latter and when in operative position closely overlying the top run of said conveyor portion, said plate means when in retracted, inoperative position disposed at the sides of said conveyor below the hopper-like sides of said compartment, said plate means movable inwardly into said operative position within said compartment wherein said plate means overlies said conveyor to completely shroud the top run of said conveyor along said end portion of the latter, the unshrouded portion of said conveyor substantially exceeding in length the length of the shrouded portion and being operable to discharge material stored in said compartment longitudinally beyond said plate means from said compartment at one end of said compartment, and said plate means when in shrouding position receiving material discharged into the opposite end of said compartment whereby the latter may store material during such discharge of the material by said unshrouded portion of said conveyor.

15. A vehicle as set forth in claim 14 wherein power operated mechanism is carried by said body for moving said plate means inwardly into shrouding position above said conveyor and for retracting said plate means and includes power devices disposed beneath said hopper-like sides of said compartment.

LLOYD G. FELJJERMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 725,095 Kreutler et al Apr. 14, 1903 809,373 I-Iof Jan. 9, 1906 2,293,486 Barrett Aug. 18, 1942 2,300,753 Wagner et al Nov. 3, 1942 2,356,434 Russell Aug. 22, 1944 2,393,849 Werts Jan. 29, 1946 

